


First dates are awkward, first kisses are heavenly

by winterfell_in_ruins



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 02:32:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3751051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterfell_in_ruins/pseuds/winterfell_in_ruins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this a long time ago for the got exchange on livejournal, on my old account. Reposting here to keep all my stuff together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First dates are awkward, first kisses are heavenly

Jon knew Stannis from work. Three months ago this grumpy, perpetually-frowning older man had joined Jon at the government defence program where he had worked for years. “The Wall”, as its employees affectionately called it, was a small, close-knit community. So when Stannis had arrived from a different branch and started acting like he owned the place, it was inevitable that some feathers were ruffled. Stannis wasn’t even going to be there for that long. He was on a much bigger mission, going all around the country, sorting out admin problems, dealing with issues in each area. To hear Stannis talk about it you’d think he was saving the world by improving productivity, one centre at a time.

That said, it was a job Stannis had been born to do, the man had organisation skills the likes of which Jon had never seen. Since he had arrived, the whole place was running better than it ever had before. What he lacked, however, were people skills. Everyone, Jon included, had derived a kind of sick pleasure from winding him up and watching the man flounder at office parties. There was something satisfying about teasing a man with no sense of humour, a man who was constantly stern and serious.

The reason that he had originally been stuck with Stannis was due to Jon’s role as leader of the program. At first, Jon had resented every moment spent with Stannis, who delighted in constantly questioning his every move. Jon felt insecure enough as it was, without Stannis undermining his authority. That all started to change the day he had fired Janos Slynt. The Wall was full of ambitious people doing important work for the safety of the country. Jon had always put the work before his own ambition, ironically meaning that he rose quickly through the ranks, gaining the respect of his colleagues along the way. Janos had been furious when Jon had been elected the youngest project leader in living memory. After his attempted takeover, Jon had had to fire him, refusing references to any other security jobs. He had expected Stannis to appeal his decision, to delay his departure yet again, as he had so many times before. But it was at this point that things had changed.

From then on Stannis had respected Jon’s leadership, and his suggestions seemed helpful rather than snide. Jon began to treat Stannis as a trusted advisor, a favourite colleague. Then somehow they had become friends, good friends even. Jon found himself dreading the day that Stannis would leave. The man still had no social skills, but Jon had come to like his honesty and directness, and to admire the way that Stannis’ own team looked up their leader. It was Davos Seaworth, Stannis’ right-hand man, who guessed the truth first. He had sidled up to Jon at some event with a knowing twinkle in his eyes, saying:

“I reckon you’ll miss him when he’s gone. Reckon he’ll miss you too. He might well be heartbroken even.”

Jon knew that Stannis and Davos were close. In fact, he’d thought they were an item when they’d first arrived. But Davos was happily married, while Stannis’ unhappy marriage had ended in divorce years ago. Nevertheless, Davos probably knew Stannis better than anyone. If he thought Stannis would miss Jon . . . Jon didn’t want to think about it.

“How would you know? I’ve never known Stannis to let emotion get in his way.”

Davos chuckled and patted Jon on the back.

“Don’t you worry about him. He’ll ask you out before the week is through, I’d bet on it.”

Jon almost choked on his drink. How could Davos know? Stannis was hardly heartthrob material, and Jon hadn’t really dated since getting this job. The Wall was pretty liberal by some peoples’ standards. Dating a colleague wasn’t considered a big deal, once your private life stayed separate from your work. Not that that ever happened. In such an isolated place, any gossip spread like wildfire. Jon had one fling with a guy from IT three years ago, and now everyone was trying to set him up with any well-groomed new guy. Still, even if they knew Jon was gay, were his feelings so obvious? He thought he had hidden the way he’d begun to schedule more and more one on one time with Stannis into the workday, often for the flimsiest of reasons. Jon sighed. There was probably no denying it. Not since his earliest adolescence had Jon had such a massive crush.

He’d always had a thing for more experienced guys. Still, every night for two months, thinking about a man not much younger than your father was, well different. The fact that the man was Stannis Baratheon was verging on the masochistic, even by Jon’s standards. Hells, last night he had dreamed that Stannis and him over the table in the map room. That had made today’s session in said map room somewhat uncomfortable. Luckily Jon had a reputation of being a man of few words, so his staring at the floor, the wall, anywhere but Stannis was made less unusual. At one point Stannis had managed to catch his eye, meaning that Jon had had to leave quite abruptly at the end of the meeting.

He turned back to Davos who had begun to look worried at Jon’s quietness.

“Just thought I should warn you. Stannis hasn’t dated many men, not many women either. Just let him down gently if you aren’t interested. I can see he likes you.”

Jon liked Stannis too, and when he received a very awkward invitation to have dinner with Stannis that Saturday, he said yes.

The date had been, well, interesting. They had discussed politics, work and various other topics that Jon would usually have considered too serious for a first date. Then again, this was Stannis Baratheon he was on a date with. Stannis was as sombre-looking as usual, though at one point Jon thought he had about to smile. They had been discussing Jon’s father, Ned, who Stannis had met a few times. Jon’s father had been close to Stannis’ brother Robert. Stannis describing Ned as serious was almost too much for Jon, who couldn’t help but laugh. Once Stannis was sure he was not being mocked he saw the funny side of what he had said.

“Most men would call you serious too, Jon.”

Jon liked how Stannis said just his first name. There were few people that Stannis was so personal with.

After dinner Stannis had given Jon a lift home. Stannis hadn’t had anything to drink. Jon had had some wine, though not enough to justify how giddy he was feeling sitting in the passenger seat. He looked over to Stannis, who looked nervous. All in all the date had been a success, except that there had been little to make Jon classify it as a date.

Stannis wasn’t one to flirt and Jon was far too nervous to do little more than keep up with the conversation. He had enjoyed himself though, and all things considered, it had probably been the least awkward Jon had felt on a date in a long time. There was something comforting in spending time with someone as brutally honest as Stannis. Smiling, Jon looked over at Stannis who now looked almost green.

“Is everything alright?”

Stannis didn’t take his eyes off the road, but the corner of his mouth twitched. It could have been a grimace, though Jon thought it had been an attempt at a smile. Stannis gave a vague, non-committal answer. Jon worried and ran through all the ways the date could have been seen as a disaster in Stannis’ eyes. All too soon they were outside Jon’s small bungalow. Stannis switched off the ignition but made no move to get out of the car. Jon unbuckled his seatbelt, making no attempt to move either.

Here was the clichéd moment. Jon felt like a teenager waiting for his first kiss outside his childhood home. He knew that Stannis would never be the one to make the first move. Usually Jon wouldn’t either. But he wanted to kiss Stannis and Stannis wanted to kiss him, and the silence was getting awkward.

Then Stannis leaned in. Jon’s surprise was replaced by sheer shock when Stannis reached out a hand and cupped Jon’s face. Then, very softly, nervously even he planted a soft kiss on Jon’s mouth. Jon leaned into the kiss and slowly, very slowly, the kiss grew more passionate. Jon was becoming aroused very quickly. It came as somewhat of a surprise that Stannis was a great kisser.

Jon tried to lean in further, but the clutch and the steering wheel, and Stannis’ far too small car meant his options were limited. He tried shuffling back a bit to give Stannis more room.

“OW! Seven hells!”

Jon didn’t know which was more surprising, that he was making out with Stannis Baratheon in his car, or that Stannis Baratheon had just swore. Stannis had somehow managed to bang his head on the rear-view mirror.

“This won’t work.”

Stannis’ words cut Jon like a knife. Lost for words and miserable, Jon nodded and made to move out of the car, glad the darkness was probably disguising the bulge in his trousers. He reached for the handle. Of course, he wasn’t good enough. Why would Stannis want him as much as he wanted him? Maybe Stannis had wanted to take it slow. It was all Jon’s fault, he knew it.

“Put on your seatbelt.”

“What?”

“It is dangerous to be in a car without a seatbelt. Many deaths on the road could have been prevented if the victims were wearing seatbelts. I’m not endangering your and my own life by driving without everyone in the car wearing a seatbelt.”

Jon blinked.

“Furthermore, you probably shouldn’t have taken it off, while we were stopped. As you didn’t get out straight away, you were at risk.”

Jon wondered if Stannis had lost his mind. There many people at work who would argue that Stannis had lost it long ago.

“Stannis, I ... Why do I need to wear a seatbelt? You said ...”

Stannis suddenly looked right at Jon. There was no happiness there, but no anger or frustration either. The look he gave Jon would look cold on another man, but somehow it comforted Jon. It was not the look of a man disgusted with him.

“This, Jon. The car. The car won’t work. I mean we aren’t teenagers.We can’t have sex in the back of the car. I don’t think we’d even fit. I mean if you’re not going to invite me into your house, put on your seatbelt. We’ll go to my hotel room.”

Jon wanted to laugh at the directness of the statement but thought Stannis wouldn’t see the funny side. And maybe it wasn't his better judgement doing the thinking for him, but he didn’t want to annoy Stannis again for a good long while.


End file.
